The History of the Blue Mountains | Tolkien Explained

From the early dwarves of Belegost and Nogrod to Thorin's Halls, the Blue Mountains would be an important - though sporadic - home for the dwarves of Middle-earth!
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Misty Mountains - Felix Englund
Nogrod - Lída Holubová
Battle of Unnumbered Tears - Joona Kujanen
Belegost - Sergio
mountains - felix englund
ettenmoors - war in the north
Lamps of the Valar - Lída Holubová
Aule - janka lateckova
fathers of the dwarves - steamey
Lake Cuiviénen - Ted Nasmith
Beleg Departs from Menegroth - Alan Lee
girdle of melian - Jenny Dolfen
Nimphelos - Shannon Moe
dwarves of ered luin - sam mckinnon
Weathertop - Alan Lee
dwarven upper class warriors - artigas
dwarves - merlkir
Narvi the Dwarf - Alan Lee
Beren Recovers a Silmaril - Anke Eissmann
Dragon-helm of Dor-lomin - Matej Cadil
Narsil - John Howe
Breaking of Narsil - John Howe
Shard of Narsil Aragorn - Matthew Stewart
elu thingol and the dwarves - steamey
Nargothrond - Jonathan Guzi
Finrod - Alystraea
Nargothrond - Alan Lee
Finrod in Nargothrond - AnotherStranger-Me
Nargothrond - Matěj Čadil
gloin and gimli in erebor - anotherstranger_me
The Nauglamir is Returned to Dior Eluchil - Paula DiSante
Finrod - Janka Latečková
dwarven warriors - artigas
Azaghal - Turner Mohan
Dragon Helm of Dor Lomin - Bella Bergolts
city view - Felix Englund
Maedhros - YidanYuan
battle of nanduhirion - tulikoura
Dwarf fighting fire - Matthew Stewart
Glaurung and Azaghal - John Howe
The Coming of Glaurung - Alan Lee
The Fall of Azaghal - Joona Kujanen
Azaghal and Glaurung - Artigas
Azaghal - Jenny Dolfen
Azaghal - Steamey
Dwarves - merlkir
beren, luthien and huan - steamey
the royal court of thingol - steamey
The Request of Thingol - Peter Xavier Price
They really died - Steamey
The Nauglamir - Ted_Nasmith
Thingol's End - Peter Xavier Price
Elu Thingol - Soni Alcorn-Hender
Catacombs of Menegroth - Pete Amachree
Death of Thingol - Steamey
Dwarven fortress - war in the north
Balins decision - Joona Kujanen
war of the dwarves and orcs - tulikoura
Crossing - Felix Englund
dwarf king - sergio artigas
Luthien at Tol Galen - Ted Nasmith
Third Kinslaying - Turner Mohan
Cooked to Perfection - Anato Finnstark
Khazad dum - rafael damiani
Dwarf - Matthew Stewart
dwarven entrance - war in the north
arvedui - steamey
moria battle - WETA
Ost-in-Edhil - Anke Eissmann
Last Alliance - Abe Papakhian
Grey Havens - Alan Lee
dol guldur - WETA
thorin oakenshield - tolman cotton
dwarven door - war in the north
Thorin Oakenshield - Jenny Dolfen
Smaug - Jerry Vanderstelt
King Under the Mountain - John Howe
misty mountains - tulikoura
Thorin Oakenshield - Jenny Dolfen
Gandalf and Thorin - Ted Nasmith
Thorin - Kinko White
Bilbo Baggins - Anke Eissmann
I am Gandalf - Abe Papakhian
Death of Thorin - John Howe
dain ironfoot - CK Goksoy
Erebor - Aronja Art
The Shire - Šárka Škorpíková
The Treasures of Erebor - Aegeri
Dale - Matthew Stewart
Bilbo Leaves Bag End - Elrodimus Flash
the hall at bag end - matej cadil
dwarves - turner mohan
Floating Log Inn - Ralph Damiani
Shadow of Sauron - Ted Nasmith
Glittering Caves of Aglarond - Ted Nasmith
Galadriel in Moria - Alan Lee
#tolkien #dwarves #silmarillion

[@stephenwalton8087]

Tolkien seems to have endless content

[@NerdoftheRings]

The depth of his world is crazy!

[@darthgollott]

Endless farming!!!

[@FrankBarnwell-xi8my]

It's 1 months to April, but wouldn't the Ring be safer with Barliman Butterbur and then completely forgot about it?

[@isamerryfellow]

Endless content, and yet ROP still feels the need to make up their own terrible story 😭

[@stephenwalton8087]

@@isamerryfellowExactly they could have just used some of tolkien’s actual work

[@Shirebaggins.]

Thorin's Halls, Now We Need the Iron Hills

[@CalogeroPeritore]

And the other mountain ranges too!

[@alexanderhuber336]

Very true

[@TheNihilator]

Any Orocarni vids? (aka Red Mountains)

[@notevenJc]

Yes please @nerd of the rings

[@nebenkosteh]

The lack of information we have on the dwarves only adds to the mystery of their kind

[@danielloewen2857]

Especially considering people in middle earth know even less, with many even believing that they simply spawn out of the ground because it's hard to notice if they're women or men

[@bofferpuf7616]

Dwarves have always been my favorites, and the sheer mystery of their culture, is one of the things I love most about them.

[@Ahmed.m.farouk]

I want more Middle-Earth geography!!

[@bighand1530]

The more, the merrier.

[@Randomprojects2008]

I've always wondered about the blue mountains, and the lore about them. This was a great way to spend 21 minutes of my day 👍

[@Jakblade]

This was by far the best 21 mins of my day. No contest.

[@realBiGO]

So much mystery surrounding these little guys. I need more!!!!

[@jamesmarriner9675]

I've always loved the dwarves of the ered luin, ever since reading the silmarillion, playing lord of the rings online, and playing the medieval two total war mod divide and conquer. I even played an ered luin dwarf in a middle earth D&D campaign. Thanks for making this video!

[@manindisgiuze7780]

Check out CK3 : LotR Realms in Exile. They are a absolute blast to play!

[@eleazarelbuchon]

Lord of the Rings Online is my fav game! And Ered Luin is actually my favorite region including the music and the mystery around the dwarves

[@rogueascendant6611]

Good job! I've always been interested about the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains. Didn't know it was the Valars that unintentionally made this mountain range upon pushing Middle-earth further away from Valinor.

[@Enerdhil]

I have no idea where he got that from.

[@benjaminjaskoski1334]

This is a first for me: I don't think I have seen a new video within one minute of it being uploaded from any of my subscriptions. Great work, as always!

[@kristenrosales2919]

This presentation gives me a new appreciation of the friendship between the elves and dwarves of the First Age before it went sour.

[@samlagrimas5039]

Just wanna say. I always go back to your channel when I need more lore videos on Tolkien's world. I love your lore and the way you explain them. I have wanted to know more on the Blue Mountains!

[@joshuamogle8819]

10:22 - "No one knows exactly what began the rift. The Elves say the Dwarves stole their treasure. The Dwarves tell another tale. They say the Elf King refused to give them their rightful pay. It is sad, Frodo, how old alliances can be broken. How friendships between peoples can be lost. And for what?" - Bilbo

[@howardsternssmicrophone9332]

Great stories! The part I liked was when the Ents got briefly involved.

[@Jakblade]

You mean When they yeeted the dwarves? Lol Yea that Sounds like Ents 😂😂😂

[@robk8463]

So glad to be back in Middle-earth! It lifts my spirits!

[@Jakblade]

Thank you for sayin that. It really lifts mine as well. 👊

[@GenuinelyCurious120]

Tolkien was the best! I've been reading alot of fantasy lately (book two of the Wheel of Time currently), and his influence is EVERYWHERE. Makes me happy to see the wonderful places his legacy has gone.

[@catfreeny]

Yay! Matt with another lore vid 😭

[@jeffscheurkogel]

Thank you for covering Dwarf history. I find the dwarf realms fascinating. Given the elf-centric nature of the Silmarilian we have a lot less about dwarves so I like to take in all the info I can. Is there more about the four clans in the mountains of Rhun?

[@Enerdhil]

And do all of them live in the mountains of Rhûn? That seems too close to each other and too convenient.

[@CaptainMaedhros72]

Here's an interesting theory I would love to see you do. What if Balin and his colony of dwarves survived in Moria until the fellowship got there?

[@semp224]

MY DWARVEN HEART! Thanks for covering this one! Thought when will content creators cover this, and here we are.

[@robertm4919]

Thanks!

[@JumpingTomato]

I have been followinhmg this channel forever. I don't think I ever have not heard a thank you to Tomdabombadill19. This must be one if the biggest Tolkiens fans around! I like to express my personal thanks to this legend as well.

[@UlsterCountryball]

Blue mountains in my opinion are really underrated

[@valentinkambushev4968]

Even so, the Misty mountains are still my favorite.

[@sajjadalhachami7574]

All the dwarves stuff are underrated

[@Enerdhil]

Who's rating mountains in the Legendarium?🤣😆😂

[@BoldRadu]

Loved every second of this nice explaination. Thank you

[@ducati-uv1ov]

one of your better ones. Nice work

[@eltkYT]

I really love this channel 👌

[@isaiahsullivan7199]

I love your guys content, never stop making videos pls I’ve learned so much

[@eleazarelbuchon]

I think Lord of the Rings Online does a great job at representing the Blue Mountains, Thorin's Hall and Ered Luin region in general

[@valentinkambushev4968]

I am still disappointed there are no Purple Mountains in Middle Earth. There are blue, red, white, gray, and yellow mountains, so why not purple mountains?

[@uwesca6263]

Maybe they are in Rhún?

[@nathaliemelissa96]

I think Mindolluin (behind Minas Tirith) could count as one. It is described as having a snow-capped peak and high glens which cast deep purple shadows in the morning light. 💜😊

[@istari0]

@@uwesca6263 Those are the Orocarni, also known as the Red Mountains.

[@istari0]

@@nathaliemelissa96 That's part of the Edred Nimrais, the White Mountains.

[@Enerdhil]

How about Green Mountains? 🤪

[@howiestubbs3524]

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

[@MissGimpsAlot]

😂👏👏👏

[@noelstarchild]

...on the trail of the lonesome pine....

[@mikeynth7919]

Dwarf Road, Take me Home, To the Place, I belong, Dwarf Realm Belegost, Dwarf Road, Take me Home...

[@HolyG.23]

Great video Matt!

[@SkinnyEatWorld95]

Love these history videos NOTR❤

[@NerdoftheRings]

Thanks so much!

[@teleportedbreadfor3days]

In their own unique ways, the Blue Mountains are special. Not just in breadth of beauty, but also for the Mountains themselves sing and the stone halls within are carved and echo with history of all and all sorts worth treasuring more than gold: History and memories of friendship, bloodshed, persistence and strength, as the Dwarves dwelt in homes of realms anew, yet never forgot nor gave up on the homes of old they sought to reclaim by ancient rite and sacredness of respective Dwarven forefather.

[@JohnHenderson-qm4ng]

this was one of your best yet

[@robotgh0st]

Oh wow! Great history of the dwarves- thank you!

[@thinpepe5771]

After playing Return to Moria I am absolutely hooked on the history of the dwarves

[@STMukr]

Another great and expecting video from Matt. Thks, mate.❤

[@wadihkhoueiry1175]

I love these interesting topics !! I suggest you do a video about each dwarven house or the mountains of the east, or maybe about the east( the map, the unknow regions...)

[@karlad.8762]

Another AMAZING video! Thanks Matt! ☺️

[@jakes5425]

Beautiful storytelling, Nerd. Appreciate the content - Thanks!

[@ArchangelXCI]

Great timing. I’ve been playing Return to Moria so I quite literally googled these guys last night to learn more. Now I’ve woken to this video 😊

[@RobbyBurney]

Excellent deep dive bro. Thank you

[@VladimirStanchev-h5h]

Thank you for the amazing storytelling!

[@aboveme727]

You’re the best man🤘🏻

[@Jakblade]

Easily one of my “new” all time favorite episodes!! 🤘😫🤘

[@mr.awesomeausten3456]

Your LORE videos are the BEST!!!

[@reiferdranzer3752]

Great video. Ive recently started the silmarrillion and its amazing.

[@afolsom685]

Always love the nerd-dom.

[@HalfGramBRgames]

Great video! Can we get more stuff on the dwarves?

[@nelsonmeier7861]

Please cover more dwarvern realms! Read mountains could be interesting for example

[@DraconimLt]

The next map right after you said they created the 4 mountain ranges didn't seem to show them anymore...

[@kevinfelix2543]

A really great video, made my Durin saturday:)

[@kevinbrennan-ji1so]

Great video. Well done.

[@Menemen98]

I dont know if its done but i would really like to see Angband. Great videos btw.

[@NerdoftheRings]

I actually just recently did a video on Angband! 😁 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZobOl6dnaZiUrq8si=s035MHn4FmStFQ52

[@Menemen98]

@ lovelyyyy

[@fireraider747]

Another fun upload thanks 💍I love the Art to ❤

[@mreous7557]

I’ve heard tomdabombadil soo much

[@mateoarnaiz8673]

I live in the Blue Mountains, they're in Australia NSW and there's a town there called Lindon just like on the map. Beautiful place too.

[@MrWadeTorres]

I always liked to imagine that each dwarf clan and elven tribe had a different appearance and culture by living so far from each other, such that the blacklocks were similar to the Nubians or the stiffbeards to the Mongols. If Rings of Power wants to be truly inclusive, they could tell many different stories using that premise.

[@the_trooper584]

Lovin your work brother

[@danielloewen2857]

Dwarf lore always goes hard ngl

[@colinleat8309]

Wonderful episode as usual Matt. 👍 I do have a question maybe someone can help me with as I'm not well read in the deeper lore. If Illuvitar is the only one who can bestow the spark of life, how was Melkor able to give life to the Dragons? Unlike the Dwarves pre Eru, they are capable of independent thoughts and action. Thanks 🇨🇦✌🖖

[@Enerdhil]

Matt definitely made a video about dragons that addresses your question. It was in regard to Glaurung and his ability to communicate.

[@colinleat8309]

@Enerdhil Ah, ok. I binged the channel a few year's ago and must have forgotten. I'll go back. Thanks so much 👍

[@alexfishkind1848]

Love anything dwarves, been a fan for awhile. Hoping iron hills will be next?

[@lexington476]

14:44 at this time any idea what the population of Lindon is? They don't really seem to play a role in the War of the Ring, at least they didn't send any troops.

[@luudest]

13:53 Interesting that Dwarves also dwelled in Dunland. Did not know that.

[@Enerdhil]

They probably lived in the mountains.

[@chrisryan2313]

Good work bro❤❤❤❤

[@ike555je]

Excellent!

[@MissGimpsAlot]

Could you do a video tracking the importance of the anduin or other rivers? 🙏🙌

[@northernswiftborn862]

i love the dwarves just as much as the elves. when watching & listening to the stories told of the books i get an understanding that the dwarves get asked to create something for the elves & then the dwarves refuse to give them the crafted item resulting in war & hate between the races. tragic they could be astoundingly strong allies if these things didn't happen.

[@89technical]

I had forgotten. Thank you

[@cantewasteeaglefeather2042]

Wish he wrote more about the 4 clans of the east.

[@Enerdhil]

There are four dragons out there, too. How convenient....

[@MissGimpsAlot]

Did we ever get a full review of "war of the rohirrim"

[@jonasvincaskatkus265]

So, today I found the 2024 edition of the Silmarillion (with the two trees of Valinor and the blue backround). And it is hard to convey my emotions which I felt when I saw it. It was almost if not funny. You see, I am lithuanian, and a couple years ago (possibly 2021) I really wanted to read the Silmarillion, but it was bought out eveywhere. Then, a couple months later, a new edition was published. With the same two trees, but a dark grey backround. And of course, I bought it. So, the point of the story, a lithuanian man called Agnius Tarabilda made a cover of the Silmarillion, and then, a few years later it even was used on the english edition of the Silmarillion. I'm just really proud.

[@DwarfComic]

Love me some good dwarf lore!

[@jaimy_games]

The dwarves are in their right though. If I gift something precious to a good friend of mine and then someone steals it after their death, presenting it as their own, I would be angry as well. It’s sad to see elvish greed caused one of the first rifts between Elves and Dwarves.

[@benjaminallen3371]

I would love to see some First Age Dwarves in a _Silmarillion_ series.🙂

[@SerKawlin]

Ahhh my favorite of the dwarf realms. REMEMBER BELEGOST

[@joviatrisyvaine]

It was a nice one but what do i need to have a list of requested videos done?

[@CB-zv9cl]

The Valar inventing plate tectonics

[@darthplagueisthewish5446]

Where can i get that map ?? It looks so amazing and detailed

[@baystated]

When Thorin met Gandalf in Bree, was he traveling alone? The King of the Longbeards traveling alone! For only becoming King because his father was snatched during HIS travels, I hope Thorin was in Bree with a sizeable guard.

[@texastate6296]

I always found interesting the dwarves would seemingly leave some mountains and settle others. Why not setting multiple.

[@solotrom825]

We NEED a vid abt the RED MOUNTAINS

[@Enerdhil]

That would be a 4-5 sentence video.🤣

[@solotrom825]

True xddd

[@turboking9238]

Is there a whole book out there solely dedicated to dwarf lore? I'd read that from cover to cover!

[@Enerdhil]

It is 4 1/2 pages long.😂

[@turboking9238]

@Enerdhil Ah man. But there's so much history and lore!

[@Enerdhil]

@turboking9238 Yes. Do a video on Rhûn, the Lake and area surrounding it. Especially the story of Boromir's horn.😁👍

[@DaTux91]

Sometimes I remember that all of Tolkien's dwarves were spawned from only 7 couples, and it makes me a bit uneasy 😅 Did Tolkien ever comment on that? In his works or in any of his letters?

[@Tea_and_Crafts]

"dwarf women are so alike in voice and appearance that Men foolishly believe there are no dwarf women" And that they rarely marry and have few children, fewer still who are female. So.... Look... The professor was a linguist not a biologist😅 maybe they really do spring up out of the stone

[@JasonGabler]

They way you tell this makes it sound as though the Dwarves are clearly the initial instigators for the tension between themselves and the Elves. Am I hearing. this correctly?

[@markmuller7962]

Makes me want to reinstall and play Dwarf Fortress

[@WasabiSniffer]

well that just leaves two things: the iron hills, and... *deep inhale BROTHERS OF THE MINE REJOICE.

[@AleksanderKycyku]

when is season 2 review coming in?

[@michaelandreipalon359]

Azaghâl sure proved that the dread Glaurung can bleed, and if anything can bleed, it can also be silenced for good, and the later Turin Turambar made sure of that. 11:17: Horrifying, to say the least. Curious what made the Ents become involved in this. 18:27: Did they have brick toys? Tolkien could have at least acknowledged the LEGO precursors once in his writings. 18:45: Kind of a wasted opportunity not making even at least one of the dwarves be one of Thorin's journeyfolk. Say, what became of the Blue Mountains in the purported Seventh Age a.k.a. our modern Earth?

[@cesarpachano]

where can I see the maps? 😍

[@phoule76]

Dwarven moving companies are a cut above the rest.

[@phoule76]

...and they can work on short notice.

[@habibelmadani9020]

iron hills plz

[@richardlanglois172]

"unrequited" has a 'quite' in the middle, not a 'quit.'

[@stmon12]

What about NIM? After all it was he that clad Turin Turambur in dragon fire resistant armor!

[@johndododoe1411]

Your description of the SA part was confusing, describing the late TA kingdom before the SA elven realm Lindon .

[@MarkLewis...]

Respectfully, it's re-kwi-ted (long i) as in quite... requited, not quit. Great video!!!!

[@solotopfeeder6976]

How come 28 dorks dislike this????

[@Grimlock1979]

1:18 That map places Belegost all the way to the south...

[@HuginnHufflepuff]

I’m confused; why is Narsil called an elvish blade if it was forged by a dwarf?

[@LostHorizons0]

In the book it mentions elven Sheath but that the blade was made by telchar.

[@HuginnHufflepuff]

@ , sounds like a bad rebranding scheme the elves got away with. Guess Tolkien never established the Middle Earth equivalent to copyright infringement or patent laws.

[@Enerdhil]

Anduril was absolutely an Elven blade because the Elves reforged Narsil, but Narsil itsrlf was not. Who calls it an "elvish blade?"

[@HuginnHufflepuff]

@@Enerdhil , I just remember the Mouth calling it a broken elvish blade before Aragorn kills him.

[@Enerdhil]

@HuginnHufflepuff In the movie? The truth is that Aragorn wielded Anduril, which, in fact, was an Elven blade, remade ftom a broken Dwarven blade. So that would have been lore-accurate

[@jamesschmidtke3510]

I get the name “nerd” if the rings, but bro, you are without peer in LOTR channels!

[@costasspartan1894]

Did the easterlings eat chocolate eggs on Easter ? 😊